Straw-stacking apparatus.



'Z SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. A. MINKLER. STRAW STAGKING APPARATUS. AyPLIoATIoN FILED MAY s. 1901.

No MODEL.

PATENTED APR. 14, 1903.

A. A. MINKLER. STRAW STACKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

ALBERT A. MINKLER, OF MENDOTA, ILLINOIS.

STR/it STCKING APPARATU S.

SPECIFIA'I'ION forming. part of Letters Patent No. 725,114, YdatedApril. 14, 1903.

Application filed May 8, 1901.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. MINKLER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Mendota, in the county of Lasalle and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStraw-Stacking Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to save straw, facilitate stacking, andimprove the appearance as well as weather resistance of the stacks, saidinvention consisting in certain peculiarities of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter particularly set forth with referenceto the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

Figure l of the drawings is adiagram illustrating a plan view of apneumatic-stacker attachment of a threshing-machine and a temporaryvertically-extensible inclosure for a straw-stack, the construction andarrangement of parts constituting this inclosure being in accordancewithmy invention; Fig. 2, a vertical transverse sectional view of theinclosure extended about Va straw-stack and partly inclined to cause ataper of the outer upper portion of the stack, the nozzle end of thepivotally-adjustable delivery-flue of a pneumatic stacker being shown inthis figure. Figs. 3, 4t, and 5 are perspective views illustratingdetails of said inclosure; and Figs. 6 and 7 are detail horizontalsectional views, respectively indicated by lines 5 5 and 6 G in thesecond figure of the series.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A B indicate posts that are set onarcs of concentric circles struck from the swing-center of thedelivery-flue C, that constitutes part of ,a pneumatic-stackerattachment of 'athreshingmachine, the nozzle end of the Hue being midwaybetween the post-lines. Each of the several posts is preferably pointedat its lower end to be easily pushed into the ground. A step b, having adepending outer prong, is made fast to each post above the lower end ofsame, the prong being run in the ground to brace said post. Each post isYset by standing the same upright and pushing with a foot on thecorresponding stepto force the lower Serial No. 59,222. (No model.)

end of said post and the prong of said step into the ground.

Fast to the upper portion of the posts A B are bands D for telescopicextensions A B of said posts, and fast to the lower end of each of thesepost extensions is a band E, engaged by the adjacent post. In pivotalconnection with an ear c of each band D is a brace-stake F, and each ofthe bands E, engaging the posts of the outer series, is provided with asegmental wing d, with which a lever G is in pivotal connection, eachlever being of itself provided with a spring-latch G', engageable withany one of a series of apertures in said band-wing, these aperturesbeing at intervals of an arc of a circle struck from the leverpivot. Inhinge connection with the upper end of each post extension B' is an armB, that folds inward, and in like connection with this arm is a link Hin pivotal union with one of the levers Gr aforesaid. The posts, theirextensions, and arms B where they occur combine to form supports forhoisting mechanism and a shield hereinafter specified.-

A bracket I is made fast to the upper end of each post extension A andarm B, each bracket being a hanger for a sheave J and provided with aneye e,through which is run a halyard K, supported by the sheave. Thearms B aforesaid are also provided with, eyes e', through which halyardsK are run, and a cleat f for each halyard is conveniently arranged. Aguide L connects each bracket I and an ear of a band E, the inner guidesbeing preferably stiff and the outer ones necessarily iiexible. YAtraveler M, loose on each guide, is in connection with a halyard K, anda snap-hook N, suspended from each traveler, is engageable with an eye gof a iexible continuous shield P, that is normally in folds adjacent tothe ground between the several posts, and vertical arms Q,havingosetlower ends made fast to said posts, the ends of the shield being lapped,as shown in Fig. l, or joined together by suitable means.

Each of the posts A B is provided at in- IOO sions invertically-adjusted position. -I-lowever, other means may be employedfor the same purpose.

When the apparatus above specified is set up, the shield P is extendedfrom time to time above the arms Q of posts A B, as straw deliveredwithin the confines of said shield accumulates to form a stack, the postextensions A' B having been pushed up and secured at a desirable height.To taper the top of the stack at the side farthest from thestraw-blower, the levers G are operated to fold inward the arms B" withthe upper portion of the shield P to the desired angle, this adjustmentof said shield being shown in Fig. 2. The inner side of the top of thestack tapers automatically as the straw is deposited.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the straw to form thestack is deposited within an inclosure and is thus prevented fromscattering and at the same time it packs evenly as the flue C of theblower is swung from end to end of said inclosure. The finished stackpresents a smooth exterior and has better weather resistance than theordinary stack.

A stack having been completed, the abovedescribed inclosure can bereadily removed and as readily set up for another stack, or for storageor transportation the posts of said apparatus with their attachments andthe halyards can be packed together and rolled up in the shield to forma compact bundle.

While I have shown and described a practical construction andarrangement of parts in accordance with my invention, the same may bevaried in the matter of minor details without departure from the scopeof said invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A portable straw-stack inclosure comprising a series of supports, aiexible shield normally contracted in folds adjacent to the ground inwhich the supports are set, and means in conjunction with said supportsand the shield for unfolding said shield in a vertical direction fromtime to time as straw delivered within the inclosure accumulates to forma stack.

2. A portable straw-stack inclosure comprising a series of inner andouter supports the outer ones having inwardly-folding upper portions, aflexible shield normally contracted in folds adjacent to the ground inwhich the supports are set, means in conjunction with said supports andthe shield for unfolding said shield in a vertical direction from timeto time as straw delivered within the inclosure accumulates to form astack, and other means for regulating the angle of the inwardly-foldingportions of the outer supports and adjacent portion of the extendedshield.

3. A portable straw-stack inclosure comprising a series of supports eachin sections telcscopically connected, a flexible shield normallycontracted in folds adjacent to the ground in which the supports areset, means in conjunction with said supports and the shield forunfolding said shield in a vertical direction from time to time as strawdelivered within the inclosure accumulates to form a stack, and vothermeans for maintaining the telescopic adjustment of support-sections.

4:. A portable straw-stack inclosure comprising a series of supportseach in sections telescopically connected, the sliding sections of somebeing jointed to have their upper portions fold inward; a flexibleshield normally contracted in folds adjacent to the ground in which thesupports are set, means in conjunction with said supports and shield forunfolding said shield in a vertical direction from time to time as strawdelivered within the inclosure accumulates to form a stack, means formaintaining vertical adjustment of the sliding sections of the aforesaidsupports, and means for regulating the angle of the inwardly-foldingportions of supportsections and the adjacent portion of the extendedshield.

5. A portable straw-stack inclosure comprising a series of supports,brace-stakes in pivotal connection with the supports, a iieXible shieldnormally contracted in folds adjacent to the ground in which thesupports are set, and means in conjunction with said supports and theshield for unfolding said shield in a vertical direction from time totime as straw delivered within the in closure accumulates to form astack.

6. A portable straw-stack inclosure cornprising a series of supportsprovided with lower steps having depending prongs, a exible shieldnormally contracted in folds adjacent to the ground in which thesupports and step-prongs are set, and means in conjunction with saidsupports and the shield for unfolding said shield in a verticaldirection from time to time as straw delivered within the inclosureaccumulates to form a stack.

'7. A portable straw-stack inclosure comprising a series of supportsprovided with offset parallel lower arms, a flexible shield normallycontracted in folds between the support and arms, and means inconjunction with said supports and the shield for unfolding said shieldin a vertical direction from time to time as straw delivered within theinclosure accumulates to form a stack.

S. A portable straw-stack inclosure comprising inner and outertelescopic supports, the upper portions of the outer supports beinghinged to swing inward, means for bracing all the supports, levers inconnection with said outer supports and linked to the upper hingedportions of same, means for holding the levers in adjusted position,guides in connection with the aforesaid supports,

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travelers on 'the guides, a flexible shield attaehable to the travelersand normally contraeted in folds adjacent to the ground in which thesupports are set, halyards in conneetion with said travelers, means forsnpporting and guiding the halyards, and other means for maintainingtelescopio adjustment of support-sections.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, atMendo'ta, in 1o the county of Lasalle and State of Illinois, in thepresence of two Witnesses.

ALBERT A. MINKLER.

Witnesses:

FRED H. HASKELL, J r., JOHN R. Woons.

